Acts
1
- 7
|
First Period III
- IV to conclusion 8-12 |
2nd mission | Acts
2nd 2nd Journey Thessalonians |
Corinthians
|
Galaatians |
Acts
Romans |
St Paul Arrest Trial
Acts 21 - 28 |
ROMAN_EMPERORS OF_THE_TIME |
Roman Provinces |
Agrippa I |
Saint_Paul_Letters Written_in_Rome |
III. Philip and Peter in Judea / Samaria | 20 Jerusalem Churchpersecution | 21
Philip's
Samaria mission |
22 Simon Magus |
23
Baptism
of the Ethiopian |
24
Conversion of Saul |
25 Saul'sDamascus preaching | 26 Saul's visit to Jerusalem | 27 Peter's Lydda/Joppa | 28 calling of Cornelius Centurion | 29
Interlude: Peter's vision |
30Peterbaptizes
Cornelius |
31 Peter justifies Cornelius' baptism | 32
Church In Antioch help |
33 JamesMartyed of Peter's release | 34
Death of Herod Agrippa |
35 BarnabasSaul again at Antioch | The
word 'simony' Answer |
Name
a fundamental important event in the early Church! Answer |
who
wrote the 1st Gospel Answer
Who was Tabitha and where? Answer |
who wrote the 3rd Gospel and Acts Answer | When
was Acts written Answer How many letters of St Paul Answer |
Disciples
1st called Christians - where when? answer |
Who
were Jesus' 3 special friends Answer |
he was the last 'King
of the Jews' Answer |
|||||
In Judea and In Samaria
The persecutions of which the Church in Jerusalem was the object drove the
first disciples away from the city. They bore witness to the recent events
in the cities and other places to which they went. The first journey about which St Luke tells us is that of Philip to Samaria (see no. 21). The persecutions were not, however, the only reason which sent the Gospel to other places: there was also its own interior power: it was the Holy Spirit who directed Philip to the south of Jerusalem where he baptized an Ethiopian (see no. 23). From the account of Saul's conversion we learn that there was a Christian community at Damascus. That community must have been of noteworthy importance for the Jerusalem authorities to have welcomed Saul's request and sent him as their envoy to arrest Christians and 'bring them bound' to Jerusalem (see no. 24). Peter himself carried his message to the Mediterranean coast at Joppa and Lydda (see no. 27). |
The centre of the new community is still Jerusalem. The incident is consonant
with the development of the idea that the persecution in Jerusalem was the
occasion for the conversion of the Gentiles (i.e. the pagans). The narrative
of Saul's conversion at this point in the story has a special significance
-- the introduction of the most important agent in the conversion of the pagans,
the principal hero of the second part of the book and the most ardent propagandist
of the universality of the Church. St Luke sets enormous store by St Paul's
conversion, which is related no fewer than three times in the book of the
Acts (see nos. 103 & 110). The whole episode stresses Christ's direct and continual intervention; the fundamental experience which made the 'Twelve' into 'Apostles' was the vision of the risen Christ who sent them into the world. Paul always declared himself to be an apostle, and always emphasized the fact that he also was a witness of the risen Christ who sent him on his evangelizing mission. A section of the walls of Damascus. A window of a dwelling built on the walls can bee seen. 'His disciples took him by night and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket.' (Acts 9, 25) |
26 Saul's visit to Jerusalem (Acts 9, 26-30) 25 And when he had come to Jerusalem (1) he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, 29 preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists; but they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus. (1) St Paul himself (in the Letter to the Galatians, see no. 86) specifies that he spent three years in the Arabian Desert before presenting himself at Jerusalem. St Luke omits this detail, which is not directly concerned, with his story. {-- this author's insert! -- After receiving baptism and making some initial attempts at preaching, Paul withdrew into the Arabian desert (c. 34-37 A.D.), where he prepared himself for his future mission. During this retreat he was favored with special revelations, Christ appearing to him personally.} P. 97 |
Cornelius was expecting them and had called together
his kinsmen and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and
fell down at his feet and worshipped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 "So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me." 30 And Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, 31 "saying, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.' " 33 So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord." 34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: Caesarea in Palesting, the administrative capital of Judea, where the procurator resided with his cohorts. Cornelius, the first pagan to be converted, belonged to this Roman garrison. P. 105 |
27
Now in these days prophets
came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 And one of them named
Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be
a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius.
29 And the disciples determined,
every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived
in Judea; 30 and they did so, sending
it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. P. 111 |
35 Barnabas and Saul again at Antioch (Acts 12, 24-25) 23 But the word of God grew and multiplied. 24 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was Mark. CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST PART
The
early Church in Jerusalem
The Church was born in Jerusalem, in the bosom of the official Jewish religion
of which, in God's plan, it represents the natural historical development.Jerusalem was always thought of in Jewish history as the only and ideal centre of religion. In it was the only temple in which God wished his presence to be honored in a special way. In the 'Holy City' the supreme religious authorities felt themselves the trustees of Perfect orthodoxy. Their just pre-occupation with keeping intact the purity of God's revelation had caused the official religiosity of the period immediately before Jesus to evolve into a rigid and largely legalistic conservatism. The different sects were distinguished by particular interpretations of the Law and, although they differed among themselves, they rediscovered their unity in the unique thread of their ancient tradition. Against such a background the new community was considered by the Jewish authority. St Luke shows us the earliest community still deeply involved in the Jewish religion. It takes part in the liturgical life of the Temple, having as its own particular external distinctions the sharing of possessions and the 'breaking of the bread', a term used to describe the Eucharistic rite, then celebrated in private houses. It seems to have been organized around the 'Twelve' witnesses of the resurrection of Christ and guided by the power of the Holy Spirit. P. 115 Jerusalem is thus seen as the centre of Christianity whence the mission to the pagans is being slowly prepared. The transition happens gradually; the first step is towards Jews and Hellenists who are orthodox and circumcised, the second is towards the Samaritans, circumcised but unorthodox, who join the new Church without attaching themselves to official Judaism. The first group of converted Hellenists is very active and is the cause of great friction with the religious authorities (see Stephen, no. 17). It provokes a certain uneasiness even among the converted Jews of Jewish speech. Jerusalem has always been a centre of conservatism whether Jewish or Christian. The Jews would have resigned themselves to accepting the Christian movement as a sect of Judaism but they could not accept the universalism, first of the Hellenists and then of St Paul. In that they saw the destruction of Judaism itself. The first reaction therefore comes from the religious authority that tries to absorb the new sect, keeping it as least outwardly within the bounds of orthodoxy. Thus a sort of compromise is reached between the new Church and Judaism, a compromise that undergoes various vicissitudes, and later results in the apostles and the most active exponents of Christianity leaving the city for other centres. The second reaction came some time afterwards from political Judaism in the person of Agrippa I who, in addition to being a Jew, had also the title of King. To ingratiate himself with the Sanhedrim and the Jews, he posed as the defender of orthodox Judaism and, above all, he persecuted the Twelve, who were obnoxious to the Jewish leaders for having welcomed even pagans into the new sect. The persecution ended with his death, but meanwhile had provoked the final flight of the Church from Jerusalem, Peter left the city and we find him later at Antioch, capital of the Middle East and third city of the Empire. At Jerusalem remained James, the Lord's cousin, revered even by the Jews for his respect for the Law. The
Holy City thus slipped into the background and had no further important part
to play in the history of Christianity.
P. 116End of
The First Period
|